Blind Tenderness
by laylamk
Summary: I know I have like 3 other stories at the moment, but I couldn't resist. This one is going to be shorter (well I planned it that way) and I actually have the time for it, Lol! This is a different take on the episode Blinded, Olivia is blinded instead of Elliot. Slight AU but not too much. Please R&R! Love ya'll! Now completed!
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey everyone! I know I have a lot going on story wise, but I think I can handle it since it's Christmas break! This story will only be 5-6 chapters long (well that's what I have planned so far). I love blinded just like wildlife because such opportunities the plot allows! Elliot and Kathy never got back together so slightly AU. What happens when Olivia is the one that is blinded? Please review! Love ya'll!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

"_It's going to be really hard" the man said, as if he was explaining it to her._

_She chose to ignore it, they would be at the car soon enough. Before she knew it, she was falling. _

_Elliot watched the scene unfold from the other side of the street, he was getting away and she was on the ground. The sound of her head hitting the glass echoed in his ears. His legs were moving before he could even process what had happened. _

"_Olivia! Someone call a bus, and get him!" he yelled as he ran to her. She was unconscious and bleeding with bits of glass covering her jacket. He gently guided her head to rest against his chest, giving him a better view of the wound. "It's not too bad. You're okay…you're okay". He cringed when he felt her blood seep into the material of her shirt. Maybe it was worse than he had previously thought. _

_The ambulance took its sweet time getting there. She had lost a decent amount of blood and Elliot was anxious. "Sir, we need to move her" a young man said, he was probably new to the job. He just had this air about him that screamed "NEWBIE"._

"_Of course"Elliot quipped with a bit of attitude. Although he was reluctant to do so, he moved away from his partner. "I'm riding with her" he stated, leaving no room for arguments. She still hadn't come to when they arrived at Mercy General, worrying him more. _

"She'll wake up anytime now" Captain Cragen reassured him. They had both had been sitting next to her bed, waiting for her, for the last two hours. If it weren't for the bruise on the right side of her face and the gash on the back of her head, it'd look like she was simply taking a nap. Those pain meds had to be wonderful.

"Uuuhhhg, what happened?" she croaked out, moving her head around to work the kinks out of her neck.

"You were pushed head-first into the car, but you're okay" Elliot answered.

"No I'm not!" she exclaimed once she opened her eyes. "I can't see you!"

She was looking all over the room, but she couldn't see anything. She could see lights and some shadows, but that was it.

"What do you mean? I'm right next to you" he was deeply confused.

"I'll go get the doctor". Elliot watched as his boss ran out of the room and his partner suffered from a panic attack.

He quickly grabbed her hand, squeezing tight in his own. "I'm right here, next to you. Just listen to my voice: It'll be okay, I promise". He watched in astonishment as a stray tear made its way down her cheek. A crying Olivia Benson was not something to be taken lightly.

"I'm scared" she whispered. Her whole world was a giant blur.

(Hours later)

Elliot couldn't stop his leg from shaking. It was a nervous habit that he never could break. He could tell by the looks that Fin and Munch were giving him that he was driving people insane. Good, misery loves company. The doctor had kicked him and Cragen out so they could run some tests on Olivia in hopes of finding the cause of her vision issues.

"Is there a Donald Cragen here?" a petite, middle age woman asked. "That would be me".

"We have some updates on Detective Benson's condition, if you'd come with me". Elliot also stood, but Cragen quickly gestured for him to sit back down. "Let me handle this, I promise I'll fill you in as soon as possible".

Elliot sighed and settled himself back in the chair, impatiently waiting. He stared at one of the magazines that rested on the coffee table. He could see the date June 15,2004 printed in the corner.

A few minutes later, Cragen came back and by the look on his face, Elliot could tell that something was wrong.

"What is it?"

"In the most basic terms possible, there was some bruising in her head and she is temporarily blinded" the older man carefully told the younger man.

"What exactly does 'temporarily' mean?" Elliot pressed, not caring that his voice was much too loud for the waiting room.

"The doctor is 99% sure that Olivia's sight will fully return, but the problem is that there is no way of knowing when. It could be as short as a week or as long as months".

Elliot buried his face in his hands. She wasn't okay. She wouldn't be able to work. She wouldn't be able to see. She wouldn't be able to take care of herself. Everything about this sucked.

"Can I go see her yet?". His captain simply nodded, knowing that neither of them was okay for the time being.

(Liv's hospital room)

"El?" she asked as he stepped in the room.

"Can you see me?" he excitedly asked, praying that this was all a crazy mix up.

"No, but I know your smell" she answered, blushing slightly.

"Do I at least smell nice?" he teased as he took his spot in the chair next to her bed. He couldn't stop himself from looking directly in her eyes. It was insane to think that someone looking you directly in the eyes couldn't see you. He even waved his hand in front of her face, getting no reaction.

She closed her eyes and lay back, trying to relieve some of the pain. Her head felt like it was going to explode. "Doc says I'm going to be visually impaired for a little while" she said, breaking the silence. She needed to have something to listen to so she didn't go insane.

"Where are you going to stay?" he asked as he took her hand in his once again, surprised that she didn't yank hers away.

"At home" she stated as if it were completely obvious.

"Who is going to take care of you?"

"Me?" she said as if he was stupid. "I thought I was the one that hit their head" she joked.

"Liv, you've never been blind. How the hell do you think you can handle this alone?"

"I've always taken care of myself, I won't let a silly thing like temporary blindness get in my way".

He chuckled and shook his head. She was always so stubborn.

"I'll stay with you, not because you need me, but because it'll make me feel better".

She sighed and finally yanked her hand away from his even though she missed the warmth immediately. "Whatever".

"Get some rest" he ordered, tucking her in.

He noted that she had kept her eyes shut for the majority of their conversation. He decided to ask about that later. Right now she needed rest and he needed to go talk to Cragen.

"El?" she called out, his footsteps towards the door causing her to stir.

"Yes?"

"Don't tell anyone I said this, but what if my sight never fully comes back?"

The look on her face broke his heart, she was fearful when normally she was fearless.

"It will, you have to believe that. Get some sleep; you'll feel better when you wake up". He prayed that he didn't tell her a lie.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I hope everyone that celebrates had a very Merry Christmas! I thank everyone for the feedback and in response; I made this chapter a bit longer. I realize that this strays from the plot of the blinded episode, but we will get back on track for the next one. I doubt anyone will complain though, Lol! I apologize in advance for the grammar and overall typing issues. As previously stated, this is not the ending yet. Please review and enjoy! Love ya'll!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

"I think that by now I can handle getting dressed". She was extremely unhappy that he even suggested calling a nurse in to help her dress, how dare he assume that she couldn't do it. "You may be surprised to know that I haven't had anyone's help in that department since I was four".

He rolled his eyes, kind of happy that she couldn't see the frustration evident on his face. "If you want to be a rock head, so be it. Holler for me when you need help".

She stuck her tongue out at him, reverting to her inner five year old. "I won't need it" she mumbled as she pulled off the pathetic excuse of a gown the hospital had given her. _Anything that completely hangs open in the back should not be called a gown under any circumstance _she thought as she grabbed the sweat pants Elliot had brought for her off of the bed. Not being able to see the pant legs turned out to be quite the problem. Both of her legs were squeezed in the one leg. She lost her balance and fell on her butt as she tried to get one leg out. She sighed in defeat.

"Alright, maybe I should put the shirt on first".

Luckily, her top was on when Elliot walked back in the room. He tried not to chuckle when he found her sitting on the floor, one leg in her pants and the other bare. He failed miserably at containing his laughter when he noticed that her shirt was on inside out…and backwards.

"You're a mess. Let me help you" he said as he picked her up by the under arms, setting her down on the bed. She got a chill when his hand brushed her calf as he grabbed her pants. "Extend your right leg". She easily complied and shivered again when he gently pulled the sweats up her leg. "Do you want me to leave or fix the shirt?"

"What's wrong with the shirt?" she asked with a furrowed brow. She had been so proud of herself for getting it on. The look of hurt on her face made him regret mentioning it. "Nothing is, I just wasn't sure if you liked that shirt" he covered.

"So Ms. I can do everything myself, are you ready to go home?"

She eagerly nodded and pushed herself off the bed, stumbling and almost falling after a few steps. Thankfully, Elliot caught her arm and steadied her. "Slow your roll, you're going to hurt yourself if you keep that up. Plus I think you're forgetting something". He held up a pair of shoes in front of her, waiting for the realization to come.

"What El? What am I forgetting?" she asked, frustrated that he left her hanging.

"Oh yea, sorry. Shoes. You forgot your shoes".

Once she was ready, Elliot grabbed her hand and put it on his arm, making it easier to guide her.

(At her apartment)

"Please excuse the mess, I've barely been home lately and I haven't gotten the chance to clean up". He simply nodded and unlocked the door, completely forgetting that she couldn't see his response.

"You could at least acknowledge me" she said bitterly as she pushed past him and into her apartment. He heard a soft thud before he shut the door behind him. She had bumped in to her coffee table, knocking off her TV remote.

"Don't worry Liv; I saw that coffee table jump out in front of you"

"If you want to survive the next few days, shut up".

"FYI, I just rolled my eyes at you for the thousandth time". He loved messing with her; especially when there was very little she could do about it.

She slowly made her way over to the couch, feeling for any obstacles as she went. Olivia flopped down on the couch and got comfy.

"I honestly don't know what to do now" she admitted. "I mean really, what do blind people do to kill time since they can't see the TV?" she mused.

Elliot sat down next to her and made sure to give her plenty of room. She had always been the type of person that liked to stretch out.

"My guess would be that they listen to a lot of music…or you can learn Braille".

She attempted to swat him playfully, but she was way off, accidentally hitting him in the cheek.

"My bad".

He could tell that she wasn't all that sorry.

"I'll forgive you this once".

They sat in silence for a while, unsure of what they should do. The silence was driving Elliot nuts. They were usually fine with silence, but he knew that it would bother her now.

He quickly went over to the stereo and turned it on. An older slow song was playing, exactly what he needed.

"Dance with me" he ordered as he practically pulled her off of the couch and into his arms.

"El, I can't see".

"You don't have to see to dance. Just focus on how it feels, Liv".

He moved his right hand to her hip and grabbed her hand with his left.

"Relax and feel the beat".

She nodded and tried to do as he told. It was so hard to focus on the beat when her partner was holding her flush against his chest. She could feel the heat rise in her cheeks when she stumbled over her own foot. Following this, Elliot shifted and lifted her lightly, making her stand on his feet. "This should work a little better".

She was relying very heavily on her other senses. His scent was so intoxicating that it made her head spin. She had always thought that he smelled good, but now that her sight was practically gone it was much stronger to her. Olivia was enveloped in it and she couldn't be happier. Elliot felt her once tense form relax in his arms after a while. He had no clue what changed, but he wasn't complaining. He smiled ear to ear when she tucked her head into the crook of his neck.

She wanted nothing more than to snuggle up with him and hide away from the world. However, her feelings had always caused the internal war of what she could do and what she wanted to do. He felt so warm and the way his muscly body held her so gently made her want to melt.

They danced for a few more songs until an upbeat song came on. "See, I told you that you could still dance".

She simply smiled and curled up on the couch as he turned off the radio and got them some water.

"I haven't danced like that in years" he stated as he grabbed her hand to wrap around the glass, just to make sure she could have a nice hold on it.

"I don't think I've ever enjoyed dancing so much".

"Really?"

"Yea…there's something about just letting yourself feel your partner-I mean the person you're dancing with. You should close your eyes the next time you dance with someone".

Elliot smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing her a little closer to him.

"I think I understand what you mean".

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"What's it like?" he asked out of the blue. She shrugged. "Well I can't really answer unless I know what the hell you're talking about".

He chuckled and shook his head. "That attitude never gets old… I meant with your vision. What's it like?"

She honestly didn't know how to answer the question. How do you make someone understand something they've never been through? She gave him the best example that she could think of.

"Alright, you're going to have to work with me here. Try to picture when you were really little and just starting to wash your hair without help from your mom."

"Okay…"

"Then just when you thought all the shampoo was out of your hair, this random drop gets in your eye and it hurts and you can't see a thing. Out of desperate need to relieve that burning feeling, you rub it which only makes your vision more blurry… that's almost what it's like" she explained.

"So you feel like you have crappy kid's soap in your eye?"

She let out an exasperated sigh, "No, it doesn't feel like that. I meant that when I look at things, they look extremely blurry and I can't make out their exact shape".

"So it doesn't hurt?" he inquired.

She shook her head and flinched when she felt his hand on her cheek, his fingers carefully caressing her skin.

"Is this okay?" he whispered to her.

"Yea".

"Your head still hurt?"

"A little" she mumbled, feeling more and more relaxed as his hand moved down to her neck.

His hand brushed her shoulder, causing her skin to become covered in goose bumps through a chill.

"I was really worried when I heard that glass shatter…He could have done much worse to you".

"This still sucks though".

He started to rub her back through the material of her shirt, making her lean into him even more. She was slowly becoming puddy in his hands.

"You're tough, Olivia. You'll get through this".

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She was grouchy that evening. She had woken up from her nap with a splitting headache and a panic attack to top it off. Waking up and not seeing your surroundings was a damn good reason to be freaked out.

"The doctor never said that there was anything wrong with your head, maybe we should get you double checked" he said as he handed her another headache pill.

"Are you implying that there's always been something wrong up there or are you actually worried about my headaches?"

Watching her smile made him smile.

"But seriously, I'm alright. The doctor said that some aching is to be expected when you've recently done a header through a window".

She heard him moving around, making it hard to judge where he was.

"What the hell are you doing?"

He came back into the living room carrying some extra sheets and a pillow, ready to prepare the couch from him.

"I'm getting ready to set up my bed. I have to be at work at nine".

Olivia felt his hand grab her own, pulling her up and out of his way.

"Just sleep in the bed, it'll be more comfortable" she offered, trying to be nice.

"I don't want to kick you out of your bed".

"You won't be, we're adults. We can share".

He looked over his shoulder at her, almost not believing what he heard. The woman had barely wanted to dance with him hours before, was now suggesting that they share a bed. What?

"Are you sure? I'm just warning you, I've been known to be a cuddler". It was true, if he was in bed with someone, he stayed as close to them as possible.

"It's fine".

He grabbed her hand and led her down the hallway and into the bedroom. He helped her sit on what he assumed was her normal side of the bed, that's where all the pillows were anyway.

"You want to change?" he asked. She just shook her head and laid down, feeling drained.

She felt the bed move when he settled in next to her. His arm wrapped around her waist, bringing her closer to him. She looked so beautiful to him in that moment, no makeup and her hair slightly messy. Holding her was not enough for him, but it would have to be for the time being.

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"I'm not tired enough to sleep yet" Olivia said, knowing that Elliot wasn't too tired either.

"Let's play a game…pick: truth or dare".

She knew that her dares would be pretty easy considering her circumstance, so she went with dare.

"Kiss me" he dared, moving in to her personal space. She may not have been able to see him, but she could feel his presence. She could feel his breath on her face.

"Why would I do that?" she asked innocently.

"Because we both know that you want to" he answered, being far more daring than ever before. They had always flirted with each other, but they had never ever been this open about it. She felt a nervous excitement bubbling in her chest as she dampened her lips and started to move closer to him. Their lips were only centimeters apart when she accidentally head-butted him, hitting him in the nose with her forehead. She heard him yelp, unsure if it was out of surprise or pain.

"I'm so sorry! I guess my calculation was a bit off and I-"

She was cut off by his lips, capturing her own in a hungry kiss. She felt breathless and a wee bit light headed when they broke apart. His hands carefully held her cheeks, bringing her lips to his again.

His lips were not the typical perfect type. They were somewhat smooth and somewhat chapped at the same time. She didn't mind at all, she actually thought that it was the best kiss she had ever had. Maybe it was because she finally got the kiss she wanted for nine years.

"Olivia, are you okay? I think I lost you there for a second".

"Sorry, what?"

"I asked if you were okay with… well this. I know that I was more than happy but-"

"It was amazing, El. I have wanted to kiss you since we met".

He smiled and pulled her into his chest, kissing the breath out of her.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey everyone! Thank you so much for the support, please keep it up! I usually like to drag out the formation of their relationship, but I really wanted to make this story shorter so I had to make some sacrifices, sorry. This chapter will have a lot of stuff that you'll recognize, but I swear I mean no harm, lol! There's also some fluff, I promise that part was all me. The next chapter will focus on Casey and Elliot clashing and the whole trial issue.**

**Disclaimer: I may not own law and order svu and the characters, but it took forever to get some of those lines word for word, so I'm using it, lol! #sorrynotsorry**

"Okay, so that's a win for me…again" Olivia teased. She had beaten her captain at dominos three times already and the day was still young. Although she woke up feeling much better than the night before, her sight was just about the same. She thought that maybe it was a tiny bit clearer and the shadows were a little more defined, but she was still bad enough to need a babysitter. Elliot insisted that he would find someone to stay with her for the day, but she really didn't want to be stuck in her apartment.

Cragen had suggested dominos because she would be able to feel the dots and it was actually quite challenging. He and Marge used to play together on rainy nights…

"Beginner's luck" he muttered under her breath, making her laugh. He had noticed as soon as he saw her that she was in a much better mood than she usually was. He also saw the way Elliot held her hand, but he didn't want to assume anything.

"So how are you things going for you?" he asked as he mixed and separated the dominos, setting up for another game.

She immediately thought of her morning and how wonderful it was to wake up with Elliot beside her, his arms wrapped around her. His voice was still sleepy when he greeted her with a "good morning", nearly making her melt in his arms. She responded with a sweet kiss, waking him up the rest of the way.

Captain Cragen would not be told about that.

"My head feels fine and my eyes are still on strike, but I'm okay. You go first" she ordered, knowing that he wanted to make the first move this time.

"That's good…You know that you can talk to me about anything, right?".

She felt the shift in the conversation. It went from silly to serious in about three seconds. He was offering to listen to anything that she had to say, and that made her feel warm inside.

"That means a lot to me, Cap".

"Is there anything you want to tell me?"

She shook her head. "Not that I can think of".

"Are you sure?" he questioned, hoping that she would open up.

"Well…"

"What?" he sounded a little too eager.

"I can't" she whined. She had wanted to tell someone about kissing Elliot, but her boss was not a good choice, even if he did say that she could tell him anything.

"Is it about Elliot?"

"Why the hell would you say that?!"

He could tell by the look on her face that he was right, it was about Elliot. Part of him wished that she could see the cocky grin on his face.

"Because I'm right, but I won't push you. You can tell me when you're ready".

"Thank you. Now, are you ready to lose again?"

"Cap, you're needed" Fin called.

"Come on" Cragen said, helping her up and out of the office.

( A lot of this part will look familiar)

"The girl Picard kidnapped is Tiffany Lemarsh, nine years old. Disappeared last week from a bookstore at a shopping mall in Gulfport, Mississippi. Found last night after four days without food and water, in what's left of Picard's house in Louisiana". John had just been filled in on what happened, so he filled everyone else it.

"Alive?" Elliot questioned.

"Barely" John said grimly. "Neighbor's dog got a whiff. Sniffed her out just in time".

Olivia heard footsteps, but she didn't know who was joining them until the attorney started to speak.

"They're charging Picard with interstate kidnapping. Feds faxed me the indictmet. Who called them?" Casey was clearly unhappy with the situation at hand.

"Didn't you?"

"No" she quipped.

"We just picked him up this morning. Never even got him into the system" the new guy, Chester said.

"The how do they know we collared him?" Fin pondered.

Olivia had picked up on Elliot's lack of participation in the conversation. Red flags went up in her head. _It was him_. It didn't make any sense to her. Picard had hurt her; wouldn't Elliot want to deal with him personally?

"Feds' jurisdiction trumps ours" she heard Casey say.

"We don't even get an extradition hearing".

This was all getting a little too weird.

Elliot and Munch had said something, but she missed it. She was too caught up in her thoughts.

"Raping a child under the age of 12 in Louisiana…is a capital crime".

Now things were starting to make sense.

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Elliot and Olivia sat at their usual table in their usual diner, quietly waiting for their food. Even with all the work that needed to be done, Elliot was given an hour long lunch break to take Olivia out. She saw this as her chance to figure some things out.

"El, we need to talk abou-"

"Oh God, we've only had our first kiss last night, how could I have possibly screwed up yet? I need at least a full 24 hours for that".

She chuckled but quickly settled. She didn't have time to joke around. "I meant the Picard case…I find it extremely weird that the feds knew that he was collared before we even got him in the system".

"Crazy" he mumbled, trying not to say too much. It was moments like this that she wished she could see him clearly. She could normally see it in his eyes when he was lying or holding something back, but now she would have to rely solely on his voice.

"He did rape a little girl, Liv. Louisiana wants him because quite frankly, rapists deserve to suffer".

She knew that being the father of four, he strongly believed that. However, even though she was conceived because her mother was raped, she did not feel that every rapist should die. Most, even Picard, but not every single one.

"I've been thinking".

"That's dangerous" she retorted.

"Cute. But I was thinking that I could take you on a date tomorrow night?"

She felt a flutter in her stomach. Elliot Stabler, her crush of nine years, just asked her on a date.

"Yes! I mean that depends on what we will be doing on this date".

_Liar! You'd say yes even if he was taking you to an AA meeting._

"That my dear, is a surprise. Don't worry; I'll make sure that you can handle whatever it is".

They finished their lunch without another word about the Picard case. He could make her forget about the bad things in life, even if just for a minute.

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(Huang and Picard)

"Why did you attack Detective Benson?"

"Well, I saw the sign on the truck in the park. It said, 'time to escape'" Picard answered. He went on to explain how the message was meant for him and how they were coming from Francine. His sister was sending him those messages because she was raped by many boys.

Huang watched as the memory took over Saul Picard. The next thing he knew that man was crying and shaking, suffering as her relived the memory. He was only 17.

His medicine had worked for a long time, until his sister died. The stress was far more than he could handle. Those girls were Francine…

He was making things right.

He's a schizophrenic.

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(That night, Olivia's apartment)

"I really need a shower" she stated, feeling dirty since she had yet to get one since her incident.

Elliot wordlessly made his way to the bathroom to run a bath for her. It would be much easier and more relaxing for her to just soak for a bit. He mixed some of her lavender scented bubble bath and made sure that the water was warm, but not too hot.

"Come on, I filled the tub for you". She grabbed his arm, allowing him to lead her to the bathroom even though she didn't need it.

"Will you be able to do this by yourself?" He didn't want to leave her alone without at least offering help if she needed. He had helped her into a pair of jeans and one of her usual work shirts, but she had managed her undergarments by herself. She was becoming more comfortable doing that on her own.

"I think I will be fine, but I will let you know if I need you".

Once her clothes were discarded on the floor, she lowered herself into the soothing bath. It had been a long time since she was able to take a nice long bath. The water was warm and her muscles had never felt more relief than in that very moment. She could smell lavender as she played with the bubbles, moving them up and over her chest.

She felt for her loofa so she could scrub her skin, removing the dirt and filth of the last few days. Much to her approval, it left her skin feeling nice and smooth. Her hair was in desperate need of a nice washing and conditioning.

She reached for the bottles, and then it hit her. The bottles were exactly the same. They smelled exactly the same. The textures were exactly the same.

"Elliot!" she yelled loud enough for him to hear without disturbing any of the neighbors.

"Yea, Liv?" he asked, peaking his head in the room.

"I need you to tell me which one of these is the shampoo".

He took both bottles from her, glad that he had thought to put bubble bath in there, or else he would be getting a free show. He wouldn't want to make her feel exposed.

He watched as she slid down, completely submerging herself so that her hair was nice and wet.

"Let me" he said.

He crouched down on the floor next to the tub and squeezed a very small amount of shampoo into his palm. Her hair was so short that he was sure he had gotten too much still.

She bit her bottom lip as he massaged it into her scalp. It felt amazing. She loved when guys would play with her hair, but this was completely different in a good way. No one had ever cared enough to wash it for her. He was taking his time with it too; making sure that she enjoyed it.

He grabbed the detachable shower head and tested the water on his own skin before rinsing her hair.

"Are you one of those people that actually listen to the directions and lather, rinse, and repeat?"

She lazily nodded her head, not caring that she had just lied to him. His fingers in her hair felt too good to give up the opportunity that she had been given.

"Liar" he teased. If something so simple like washing her hair made her happy, Elliot had no problem doing it for her.

"No you have to condition it" she said, handing him the other bottle.

"I know, I know. There's no need to get bossy on me". He quickly finished with her hair and grabbed her towel.

As much as she hated for it to be over, she knew that the water was going to get too cold.

"Just close your eyes". He did as he was told. He closed his eyes and held the towel open for her. He felt the towel come out of his hands when she fastened it around herself.

"You're good" she said as she grabbed his hand, being careful as she stepped onto the cold tile.

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Once she was ready for bed, Elliot decided to take a quick shower himself. He had said something about needing to go grab more clothes from his place soon, but it would wait until tomorrow.

Her eyes felt extremely heavy even though she had kept them closed most of the time they were home. She didn't like the fact that Elliot could look her directly in the eyes when she could barely make his out.

She was just about to fall asleep when she felt the bed dip under Elliot's weight. He smelled like vanilla. He had probably used her soap.

"You smell nice" he said, trailing feather-like kisses from her cheek down to where her neck and shoulder meet.

"Back at you" she husked, partly out of appreciation of his lips, but unfortunately mostly out of exhaustion.

She tried to stifle a yawn, but Elliot still caught it.

"Go to sleep, sweetie. I know you're tired". He kissed her once more on the lips before taking her light form into his arms, holding her close.

"Night, El".

"Sweet dreams, Liv".


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Okay, so we're breezing through the trial part and almost everything past this point will not be from that exact episode. There isn't many chapters left (like 3), but I told ya it'd be short! Also, after the first half, I stopped using the lines from the episode because they chose to update what episodes are on Netflix. I hope you enjoy! Please let me know how you feel and I appreciate the support I have received so far. Love ya'll!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine blah blah blah, Dick Wolf blah blah blah**

"What I believe isn't the issue. Right now, that's not the law of the state of New York. If and when the legislature makes that the law, I will enforce it to the best of my ability" Casey heard herself say on the TV. She knew that reporters were going to be all over this case. Years of prosecuting cases for the Special Victims Unit trained her to handle the media with care; they could ruin a saint's reputation with incredible ease.

"I hope you mean that". She recognized the voice immediately.

"Mean what?"

"That you're not going to let Louisiana have my client".

"That's right. I'm gonna try him here". She was amazed at how confident she was about this. Most of her coworkers would hate to have a case like this, but she had never felt so sure of herself before in her life.

"Louisiana is not wasting any time" he said, handing her the paper.

"Motion for extradition" she read aloud. "Did you tell your client about this?"

"Yes. He wants to talk to you".

Casey had a gut feeling that this wasn't going to be a nice conversation

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(The Precinct)

"Elliot, can you get me another coffee?" Olivia asked sweetly, batting her lashes. He had absolutely no desire to go to a café during lunch hour, but he would do it for her.

"Of course, you want your usual, correct?"

"Yes, thank you".

"Don't thank me just yet, you owe me" he said, leaning in until his nose was only millimeters away from hers.

"What do I owe you?" He loved how she played coy. They had only been together for about two days, but their partnership of ten years was pretty much a relationship. They relied on each other way too much and had almost been separated because of their closeness, but it was all worth it.

"Just one kiss" he whispered sweetly into her ear.

"But we're at work".

He looked around the spacious room, no one was around. The others had gone out for lunch or had calls to respond to.

"They're not in here; we'll make it quick".

She giggled and pressed her lips to his in loving, but short kiss. She wanted more, but she didn't want anyone to see.

"Thank you. I'll go get your coffee now. Call me if you need anything".

Olivia woke up that morning feeling hopeful. Her vision was even better than the day before. It was still blurry and overall annoying, but she was able to tell who was who and see things that were close to her very clearly. Things were starting to look up.

She heard the door behind her shut. The captain had been in there. She pulled herself out of her desk chair and tried to get as far down the hall as she could before he saw her.

"Olivia!" he called. She was only about four feet away from where she had been sitting.

"Yes, Cap?"

"You lied to me yesterday, didn't you?" he teased, letting her know that he saw them kiss.

"I just left some details out" she mumbled under her breath.

She felt his hand squeeze her shoulder. "It's about time. Congrats to you both".

She blushed and nodded her thanks.

"Just remember, you two have to keep it professional at work. I'm not going to make you switch partners unless you show me that I made a mistake" he warned. The last thing he wanted to do was to divide them. They always worked the best when they were together.

"Yes, sir".

"Oh and one more thing, if he ever hurts you, tell me. I know how to make it look like a bloody accident by now".

She nodded again, unsure of what to say. His tone was making it extremely difficult for her to determine if it was a joke or not.

_Well…that was awkward._

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"Elliot, is Olivia here? I need to talk to her"

Elliot had just stepped out of the elevator and onto the ground floor of the precinct when he bumped into Casey.

"Um, why?"

"I need her to testify".

Elliot felt a flutter in his chest. She did not need Olivia to get Picard.

"You don't need Liv, I can do it. I saw the whole thing".

"Yes, but you didn't hear what he said".

"The doctors told Olivia to take it easy for a while" he tried.

"Unless she has to testify" Casey countered.

"Look-"

"You're looking after your partner, I know, but I really need her".

"No you don't. Look, let Liv rest and leave her alone. She doesn't need the stress of a trial right now".

Without another word, he pushed past Casey and left. He had coffee that he needed to buy and frustration that needed to be worked out.

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"I'm a big girl, Casey. I don't need Elliot watching out for me like that" Olivia said, quite mad that Elliot tried to make that decision for her.

"So I won't have to fight to get you to testify? Good" she said, sighing out of relief. At least one detective was cooperating. Picard's fate depended on this trial, if she messed this up, Louisiana could get him.

"God no… I want him to go to prison, Casey. When the doctor told me that I wouldn't be able to see for a while, I was terrified. The thought of never seeing El-everyone I know and love so much again was more than I could handle. Honestly, I'm lucky to be improving so much"

Casey bit her lip so hard that she almost drew blood. She knew this was wrong. She wanted to tell Olivia the whole plan, but she couldn't. It was too risky.

"Meet me at the courthouse at nine tomorrow, you're the first up".

Olivia nodded. The man was going to prison.

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(That evening, Benson's apartment)

"I can't wait for our date!" Olivia exclaimed. She was as giddy as a school girl and she couldn't contain it.

"I know, I've wanted to date you since the day I met you".

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Do I need to wear anything special?"

"Nope. I want you to be comfy".

She had no clue what his plan for the evening was, but she couldn't wait to get the show on the road. His hand grabbed her own, leading her out of the apartment. He stopped to lock it before proceeding to the elevator.

It stopped a few seconds later, letting them out on the highest floor. Olivia was unable to make out the number, but she had watched as the lights of the numbers went up instead of down.

"Didn't we go the wrong way?"

"Nope. Okay, there are three little steps we're going to go up" he told her, just in case she couldn't see them well enough.

"We're going on the roof?"

"I'm going to open the door now"

She was greeted by several small lights hanging around the edge of the building and doorway. From what she could make out, they were Christmas lights. On the wall to their left, a couple paper lanterns hung, the wind making them move slightly.

She felt Elliot tug on her arm, bringing her attention to what looked like a giant nest. A couple of blankets covered the cement and pillows lined it.

"There's also a picnic basket and some wine… I really hope you like it, Liv".

She felt the familiar sting of tears brimming in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away, hoping that he didn't see them.

"You hate it". He sounded so upset and defeated that she grabbed him.

"No,no,no. Elliot, this is so sweet. I love it. I told you the other day that I was able to see lights really well and you listened. This is beautiful and I think it's perfect for us. We aren't the fancy restaurant type of people anyway".

He cupped her face with his big, worn hands. His thumbs stroked her velvety smooth skin for a moment before his lips made their descent onto hers. It felt like coming home after a long trip. Their lips belonged together.

She pulled back, alarming him, but she quickly allayed his fears. "We should probably break open that wine and eat some of that food before we get too carried away".

She sat down in the middle of their cozy nest and wrapped one of the extra blankets around herself. It was getting chilly, but she would make it. The silence was perfect for reflecting on their day together. He had taken her to work again, been over protective, bought her coffee, kept her entertained while he worked, and managed to set up the most beautiful and romantic lights on the roof of her building. It wasn't adding up.

"When did you find time to do this? We've been together all day".

He handed her the glasses of wine so he could sit without spilling. "Let's just say I have the best kids in the world and I owe them one".

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(Courthouse, 9 am)

"Did Mr. Picard ever mention the name Francine?" Casey asked Olivia, clearly confusing her. She had already shown the damage that he had done to the jury.

"Um, not that I can remember" Olivia answered.

Elliot sat with the rest of the crowd, feeling unsure and uneasy about the whole thing.

The room erupted into chatter and gasps as Picard flew into a rant about Francine. He begged her to leave him alone. He did everything that he could to help her. Why wouldn't she leave him alone?

Elliot watched as Casey tried to hide her expression of satisfaction. She had wanted that to happen all along.

Once Picard was escorted out of the room, Olivia stepped down off the stand and made her way to Elliot and Casey.

"What the hell was that?" she spat to the attorney.

"I guess it just set him off" the blonde tried to convince them off her innocence in the situation, but neither of them bought it.

"You wanted that to happen! You manipulated me and Olivia to satisfy your own agenda!" Elliot looked over just in time to catch Olivia as she tripped over the rail.

"Let's get out of here". He was so angry that he wanted to punch something, but he needed to get Olivia home.

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(In the car)

"Why she just throw away a case like that? The man should be in jail for what he did to yo-those girls" Elliot covered.

"Charlie" Olivia sighed. She should have made the connection earlier but she had forgotten about the man until just then.

"Her ex-boyfriend?"

"It's a long story".

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(Casey's office)

"Where's your schizophrenic boyfriend now?" Elliot asked, pulling the picture of him out of Casey's drawer. Olivia was right.

"That's none of your damn business!" He struck a nerve but that wasn't enough.

"Why'd you throw the case?" he questioned, not giving her a chance to calm down.

"It's my case and I'll handle it how I want to!"

They both glared at the other, waiting for the other to crack. Elliot was fuming and Casey was practically spitting fire with each word.

"Your job is to prosecute; maybe you should try doing the right thing".

He was really going after her, but he didn't care. He could be sorry later.

"We make the arrest and you put them in jail, where they belong".

"Your job is done Detective. I know that you just want revenge for what he did to Olivia".

"She's my partner". He wasn't sure why he said that. It made it sound like he was defensive of the wrong thing. However, he couldn't deny that revenge was his goal.

"Six months ago I got a call… a John Doe was found and the only ID was my card… It was Charlie".

Elliot shook his head and clenched his fist. She used Olivia because she wanted to make up for not saving Charlie.

"And now justice isn't served for those two little girls either. I hope you can find a way to sleep at night".

She jumped when he slammed the door on his way out. She had just made an enemy, but what lawyer didn't have a dozen or two?


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: So I'm a liar. I previously said that I had like 3 more chapters, but this is actually the last one. For some reason, I thought that there were some details that I forgot about, but I got them all in this chapter. I'm sorry that it's so short, but at least I finished it!**

**Hope you enjoy! If you have any comments or concerns, review or message me! Love ya'll**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it, but I borrowed from it**

Casey had just returned from her reaming by Jack McCoy. He knew about her incident with Charlie. He didn't tell her who gave the report to him, but she already knew. She abused the authority of her office then, and she did it again with Picard. Who else had the power to make sure that Picard received the help he needed?

She found Elliot pouring a cup of coffee in the squad room. Olivia was nowhere to be seen, and that was probably for the better.

"Why'd you rat me out to the DA?" she asked. She hated how defeated her voice sounded.

"Because you threw the case".

"I had no choice after you sold out Picard to the FEDs".

Elliot didn't look mad, not like he had been during their last two encounters.

"Casey…I'm as guilty as you are. You were right, I wanted revenge".

This was not the Elliot Stabler that she knew.

"Is Olivia okay?"

Elliot smiled a bit at the mention of Olivia. He had been doing that a lot lately.

"She's okay. She'll be back to work next week. What about Picard?"

"The judge ruled him incompetent, Louisiana can't touch him now".

Elliot awkwardly shuffled his feet around, trying to figure out how to proceed.

After a moment he asked "do you think that he'll ever get better?"

"I don't know, I thought Charlie would get better…"

Elliot had never felt guiltier in his life. Casey had lost someone that she loved dearly. He knew that he would have done something much worse if he ever lost Olivia.

"Casey, I'm so sorry…do you mind my asking how it happened?"

"About six months ago, he was clipped by a cab… he might be alive if I hadn't made him leave".

Elliot couldn't take it anymore, so he brought his arms around her in a loose hug. "You had to think about yourself, Casey" he reassured her.

Her phone beeped, breaking up their embrace.

"Oh god".

"What?"

"Picard made a noose out of his shirt and tried to hang himself in lock up".

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"Hey, how was your day?" Olivia asked as Elliot entered her apartment. Her vision was almost back to normal, so she decided to stay home by herself.

"So,so. Casey and I talked things out". He slipped off his tie and toed off his shoes before plopping down on the couch next to her.

"Well, that's a good thing".

"But I also found out that Picard tried to hang himself".

Olivia went silent. She had no clue what to say. She hated the man for what he did to those girls and her, but at the same time, he wasn't mentally stable. He had no control over his actions without his medicine.

"Is he okay?"

"Casey said she'd call me when she got more information".

Olivia thought about the whole Picard case. He had raped two little girls. That was something that he would have to live with for the rest of his life. She had lost her sight, but that was only temporary.

"El"

"Yea?"

"Have you ever thought that some bad things happen for a reason?"

He was a devout Catholic, so of course he believed that there was a plan. As for every bad thing having a reason, he had a much harder time believing that. How would Picard raping two little girls help anyone?

"Yea, I guess so. Why?"

"What if I got hurt for a reason? I don't know if we would have ever gotten together if it weren't for Picard".

Elliot thought about it. She had a good point. If she hadn't gotten hurt, he wouldn't have stayed with her. For some unknown reason, he felt bold enough to make a move that first night. Would he have the same opportunity had he been the one to be blinded?

"It's weird, I may have been physically blinded, but the whole experience has opened my eyes to a much greater thing".

She kissed him deeply, trying to convey exactly how she felt.

"I think I know exactly what you're talking about".

**AN: Hope you liked the ending!**


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